Thomas polks



(No Model.)

T. FOLKS.

SWING.

No. 390,851. Patented Oct. 9, 1888.

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Tinnen STATES PATENT Ormea.

THOMAS FOLK-OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

swine.

SPECIFICATION 'forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,851, dated October9, 1888.

Applicatinn filed April 20, 1888. Serial No. 271,306.

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS FOLKS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Swings, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a A portable swing that can becompactly folded in a small compass and that can be conveniently usedeither indoors or outdoors, all as hereinafter particularly described,illustrated in the drawings, and specifically set forth in the claims.

Referring'to the accompanying drawings, wherein like letters ofreference point out similar parts on each figure, Figurel is aperspective view of my improved swing hung within a folding frame. Fig.2 is a front elevation thereof on a smaller scale, showing the devicefolded up. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the swing suspended from thelintel of a doorframe, the action being indicated in dotted lines, theoperating-lever being in a position reversed to that shown in Fig. l.Fig. 4 is a detail view of the swinging lever. Fig. 5 is a detail viewof braces that hold the chair in position when unfolded.

In the drawings, AA represent vertical bars or uprights that carry afolding chair 0011-.

nected thereto. They are supplied at their ends with screw-eyes orstaples c, which take into hooks or any suitable meshing device attached to the lintel of a door-casing, as D, Fig. 3, or to thetransverse barf of a folding frame, F. The uprights A are kept arequired distance apart near their upper ends by a cross-rod, a, rigidlyconnected thereto, which crossrod also serves as an axial bearing forthe swinging lever strapped thereon, while they are separated near theirlower ends by the folding chair, as presently more particularly setforth.

B is a folding chair consisting, essentially, of a seat, b, back b', andfoot-rest b2. The seat is introduced transversely between t-he verticaluprights A. Said seat is of the same width as the length of thecross-rod a', and these two members of the device, secured to andbetween the vertical bars A A, always maintain them in parallelalignment a suitable distance apart. The side rails, b3, of theseat-frame are each pivotally connected to the uprights A at a (Nomodel.)

point about midway of the length of said rails, (see indicating-numeral1,) by which said seat is adapted to be moved into a horizont-al orvertical plane and by such movements carry the connected members ofthechair into proper position. The back b is pivoted to the rear ends ofthe seat side rails, b3, at 2.

b* are arm-rests pivoted at 3 to the side posts of the chair-back and attheir opposite ends at 4 to the uprights A. Said arm-rests, when thechair is unfolded, extend horizontally rearwardly from the uprights tothe chair-back. Pivoted at 5 to the front of the seatbare links b, theirlower ends being pivoted at 6 to bars or slats b, the rear ends of whichslats are pivoted at 7 to the uprights A. The links bi are pivoted tothe bars L6 a slight d'sance from the forward ends of said bars, theextension thereof having attached thereto transverse slats to form afoot-rest, b2, which foot-rest is always maintained in alignment withthe plane of the seat b.

bs are adjustable brace-rods pivoted at their upper ends to the rear ofthe side rails of the seat-frame, their opposite ends being finished asa hook or the like to mesh withl a staple or detent, as 8, or anysuitable fastening device, by which means the chair7 when unfolded, asillustrated, is rigidly held in position and kept from tilting forwardlyor backwardly. Upon the front of the uprights A are staples a2, toreceive a removable bar, (not shown in the drawings,) which bar, whenconfined within said staples, serves as a guard to prevent the occupantof the chair from falling out forwardly.

Upon the cross bar a', and fastened by a strap, a, axially thereon andat right angles thereto, is a reversible lever, L. Said strap loosely`surrounds the crossbar ct midway thereof, enabling the lever to turnthereon, as hereinafter set forth. An operating-cord, Z, passes acrossthe top of thelever L. Alength of said cord is extended downwardly, thefree end of which is normally within reach of the occupant of the chair.over the lever L, and ashort length thereof is continued downwardlybeyond the lever, and is fastened to the transverse yoke-cord Z', thelatter. being connected at each end to an upright, A. I prefer that thecord Z should pass through eyes or orifices at each end ofthe rThe cordZ is continued IOO lever to prevent entanglement or lateraldisplacement. XVhen, as before described, the free length of the cordZis loosely hanging forwardly, it is within reach of the occupant of thechair; but as the lever L is so adjusted to the transverse bar u. thatits strap is practically amovable axial bearing mounted on a shaft, bythis construction the lever can be turned completely over, (see Fig. 3,)transferring the free length of the cord l rearwardly, by which thechair can be swung to and fro by an attendant without any operationofthe oceupant.

lt will be seen that by journaling the bar L upon the upper cross bar,a', I provide a donblecnded lever, which can be reversed at will toenable the pull -cord to be operated from front or rear. By connectionof thepullcord to the yoke-cord, which yoke at its opposite ends isfastened to the nprights, I provide means whereby the swing can beoperated immediately upon being hooked in suspension without connectionof the operative cord to any separate structure, which is necessary inall similar devices known to me. The use of the yoke-cord is alsoimportant, as it allows the lever L to be folded into thesame plane asthe nprights when the swing is packed for shipping.

From the foregoing i'lescription, in connection with the drawings, thenature and object of my invention will be readily understood. Itsoperation is as follows: XVhen the swing is closed for storage purposeor for transporte tion, the chair is extended and lies flat betweentheuprights A, and the lever Lis turned to a vertical position, as fullyillustrated in Fig. 2, wherein it will be seen that all the members ofthe device are on one vertical aligning plane. Vhen it is desired to usethe swing, it is hung in position and the chair unfolded, as seen inFig. 1, and securely locked in such position by means of the rearbraces, b3. rllhe chair is now ready for occupancy, and can be swung toand fro by simply pulling the free end ofthe cord Z, whether it hangsloosely to the front or rear. The cross-yoke cord Z pulls against thenprights A (the yoke providing a limit to the movement) of the lever Land swings the chair backwardly, the weight of the occupant returning`it in the opposite direction.

I have thus far limited my description to the main swinging device; butI also contemwhich, when the braces F F2 are opened, asV

shown in Fig. l, keeps them rigidly distended, thereby com posi ngaseaffoldframe upon which the uprights A can be suspended.

The cross-braces f2 have each midway of their length a stop-jointhinge,f", that enables them to befolded upon themselves upwardly, as seen nFig. 2, but limits their downward extension to a horizontal right line.(See Fig. l.) As before set forth, the nprights A, with theireonneet-ions,ean be suspended either from the lintel of a doorlrame orfrom the cross-beamf of a folding scaffold, as shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. The combination ofthe uprights A A with a folding chair consisting ot' a seat, b, having aback, b, pivoted thereto, links b, pivoted at one end to the forwardpart of said seat and. at their opposite end to a bar, L, which bar ispivotally connected to uprights, said chair being pivotally connected tothe uprights A by links, forming arm-rests b, side rails, b3, of thechair-seat, and forwardlyextending bars, b, carrying foot-rest D, saidseat being supplied with adjustable lockingbraces b5, all arranged asdescribed, whereby said chair can be folded up vertically between saiduprights, substantially as described.

2. A portable swing provided with a folding chair pivotally connected toand between two uprights, and a reversible swinging lever looselymounted on a transverse bar rigidly connected to and extending betweensaid uprights, in combination with a pulleord,l,hav ing one end free andfastened at ils opposite end to a limiting-yoke cord, Z, saidlimitingyoke being permanently attached to said uprights, substantiallyas described.

THOMAS FOLKS.

TWitnesses:

SAML. H. .Lroonsom ANsoN S. TAYLOR.

